The Dwarfs continued their march on the left flank, hoping to close with the mercenaries and break through their lines. Elsewhere, a formation of the Dwarf King’s warrior clansmen moved to support the Thunderers and Organ Gun on the left flank. Seeing the massive force of mercenaries bearing down on their clansmen, they hoped their assistance would be in time.

After several salvos, the Dwarf artillery crews began to find the range to the mercenary forces across the battlefield. The Grudgethrower crews targeted both the Republican Guard and the Leopard Company to devastating effect, crushing a grand total of nine pikemen between the two units.

An accurate hit from the Grudgethrower sends bodies flying!

More carnage as the boulder lands in the Leopard Company’s formation!

Seeing the success of their fellow clansmen, the crew of the Flame Cannon decided to increase the pressure on the cannon hoping to finally have enough power to reach the Republican Guard. An ominous grinding sound emerged from deep within the cannon’s structure seconds before it detonated in an earthshaking explosion which left but a burning wreckage. Of its crew no sign remained.

The crew of the Organ Gun and the Thunderers sent to guard it grimly watched as the mercenaries raced toward their position. As they reached a predetermined point, both the Thunderers and the Organ Gun aimed at the seemingly biggest threat – the massive Thunderlord atop his Rhinox. In a cacophonous shower of discharged gunpowder the Thunderlord and his mount were struck more than a dozen times bringing both crashing down in a tangle of Ogre and beast.

Voland watched the mighty Ogre go down from the concentrated fire of the Dwarfs surrounding the small knoll and signaled his men to gallop around to the right hoping to throw off the aim of his enemy. As they passed by the dead Ogre another of the large Dwarf bolts sailed out from the copse of trees to their right. After finishing with their immediate target he would wheel his men around for a charge to avenge his fallen comrades. He signaled his men for the traditional pre-charge drink. Voland and his knights took a long draught from wine bottles they had attached to their gear, tossed the bottles behind them, lowered their lances, and urged their mounts into a full charge! “Last one to die is a sissy,” bellowed Voland!

Limpin Creep and his Fighting Mallards took careful aim at the unit of crossbowmen near the area where he had earlier spotted that cursed Lumpin Croop and his lot. The aim of the Halflings was true as five of the mercenaries dropped to the ground clutching white-fletched arrows as they died.

The battle between the Thunderers and the mercenary Light Cavalry came to a swift end as the mercenaries cut down two more of the lightly armored Dwarfs while taking no casualties in return. This was too much for the Dwarfs and they broke from the combat running as fast as they could for the safety of the hold. The commander of the Light Cavalry signaled his men to pursue and they easily caught up to the fleeing Dwarfs and cut down the survivors. Their pursuit was so rapid it carried them well past the Dwarf lines and into the ruins outside of the hold. By the time they returned the sun was already dipping past the horizon and the sounds of battle were quieting.

Time was beginning to work against the mercenaries as the battle was entering the twilight hours. The shadows from the numerous peaks were already growing long across the battlefield like some giant maw about to feast.

A decisive breakthrough was needed, and quickly, if the mercenaries were to break through to the hold itself. Von Drachenheim and Zhur both knew that if the Dwarfs were given time to fortify their positions it would be nigh impossible to dislodge them.

Von Drachenheim spurred his Pegasus into a diving charge at the Organ Gun, hoping to silence its crew before they could wreak more havoc on his men. To their credit, the crewmen hastily took up arms as he streaked in. Von Drachenheim and his mount struck the stout crew down and wrecked the cannon, ensuring it would not see use again.

Seeing their General charge in ahead of them Voland and the Maneaters trailing them also began to ready themselves for a charge at the Dwarf defenders. The duelists of Schmeisser’s Streiters continued picking their way through the rocky crags emerging at an opening just as von Drachenheim charged the Organ Gun. They noted the bullet-riddled mound of Ogre and Rhinox close by and began scanning the area for any immediate threats to the flanks of their comrades charging up to support the general. They spied several units of Dwarfs ahead of them and a unit of Halflings off to the left in a small wood. Could these be the imposters that ‘ole Croop was going on about before the battle? Seeing a change to cash in on his wager with Croop he quickly laid out a plan for the rest of his men…

Elsewhere on the battlefield Zhur and Abraxus again tried to enhance the shooting of the nearby crossbowmen with little effect as the Dwarf magic defenses seemed to be severely affecting their ability to tap into the winds of magic. Focusing all of his skill Zhur managed to conjure up a lightning bolt at one of the Dwarf units he could see in the distance. As the bolt as about to strike the surprised Dwarfs, a magical rune flared to life, negating the bolt before it could cause any damage. The crew of the mercenary cannon took aim at Limpin Creep again, hoping to collect on that wager with Croop – their shot again overshot the lucky Halfling but two of his band were not so lucky and were dispatched by the cannonball as it crashed through the wood. The crossbowmen scanned the trees from which a shower of arrows had earlier felled several of their comrades.

They could occasionally catch glimpses of something moving in the trees after seeing their cannon fire into the wood. They decided to simply launch a volley, hoping their missiles would find a target, and indeed they did! One hobbit stumbled out of the wood clutching a bolt lodged in his throat. Lumpin Croop was also keenly watching the wood where that coward Limpin Creep was hiding. He ordered a volley into the wood and again one of the Fighting Mallards was felled. The remaining Halflings of Creep’s unit began to panic but Creep ordered them to stand hold fast, inspiring them with promises that they would eliminate Croop and his men before this battle ended.

On the left flank of the mercenary lines the Bulls charged into the Dwarf King’s unit with a loud crash. The duelists shadowing their flank moved up through a small rise and took aim at the unit of warriors behind the King’s unit. A hail of bullets was launched at the Dwarfs yet nearly all of them bounced off of coruscating runes limning the Dwarf’s armor. Despite this added protection one bullet did strike a Dwarf squarely in his face and the warrior simply collapsed, much to the surprise of his fellows.

The Bulls charge in, hoping to smash their way through these Dwarf elites! (note this unit contained both the King and a Thane holding the BSB)

The Bulls smashed their way into the King’s bodyguards with a flurry of blows from their swords and ironfists - their furious assault felled four of the King’s elite bodyguards. In return the Dwarf King as well as the champion of his bodyguard managed to cut down one of the savage Ogres.

The Ogres simply lacked the numbers to continue the fight effectively as the two remaining Bulls were facing a recovering group of the bodyguards with a very angry looking Dwarf King urging his clansmen to exact revenge for their fallen comrades. The Bulls broke from the combat with the Dwarfs hot in pursuit.

The Dwarf King ordered a halt as he spotted a unit of ranked up Dwarfs among the mercenary forces as well as a long line of crossbowmen as well as cannon atop a nearby hill taking aim at them. With the battlefield growing dim the King ordered his forces to retreat back to the hold. Von Drachenheim and Zhur also ordered their forces to regroup and encamp for the night. This battle would be far from over… (at this point the store was closing so we decided to plan for a continuation of the game at some point, perhaps turning it into a narrative campaign).

Whew, that was a lot of writing but it was fun and the game was even more fun to play. Unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time to play the full game only getting to the halfway point. Expect some more battles focusing on this game in the near future - perhaps some skirmish games which continue the story, leading up to the decisive battle.

1 comments:

Golgotha - favored of Khorne
said...

really enjoyed the report, maybe some day I could take part in something you right up as a report.